The Wake, Issue 5, Fall 2016

fortnightly student magazine

a new hive for research

p. 8

volume 16 — issue 5

Q&A: colin campbell & the shackeltons

p. 16

“locker room talk” at harvard

p. 10

latin perspectives on film

p. 19

bad girls: beautiful communities

p. 13

“strange girls” art collective

p. 22

Ch i l l o u t w i t h t h e Wa ke Monday, De ce m be r 5th | 8P M, Fowell Room 8

@t h e _ wake / t h ewa ke m agaz i n e

@t h ewake m a g a z i n e wake m ag. o rg

VOLUME 16, ISSUE 5 (local) post-election analysis

p. 5

a visit to the mn archives symposium

p. 7

a new hive for research

p. 8

“locker room talk” at harvard

p. 10

definitive insta-ranking

p. 12

bad girls: beautiful communities

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

p. 13

Q&A: colin campbell & the shackeltons

p. 16

latin perspectives on film

p. 19

a place to be human together

p. 20

how ‘90s kids have grown up

p. 21

“strange girls” art collective

p. 22

3 reviews

p. 23

©2016 The Wake Student Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

Established in 2002, The Wake is a fortnightly independent magazine and registered student organization produced by and for students at the University of Minnesota.

We have reached a point where print journalism is really struggling. But by no means is journalism experiencing the same fate. In fact, this is a more crucial time than ever for journalism. So many perspectives are being drowned out by corporatized mainstream outlets. There is a huge need for truthful and meaningful discussion, something we take pride in doing. This is why our online section is so important. Not only is it efficient, allowing articles to go up immediately for timeliness (rather than waiting three weeks later to publish) it allows The Wake to reach audiences far beyond the newsstands in campus buildings. The Wake is a voice for all students, and our online section amplifies those voices. If we want to understand each other on a global scale, we need local perspectives, not just those of the mainstream outlets. Putting The Wake online is putting our campus on the map so that someone thousands of miles away can be in the loop of happenings around the Twin Cities.

Check us out online, and maybe even dig in to our archives at wakemag.org Carson Kaskel Online editor

The Wake was founded by Chrin Ruen & James DeLong.

Disclaimer: The purpose of The Wake is to provide a forum in which students can voice their opinions. Opinions expressed in the magazine are not representative of the publication or university as a whole. To join the conversation email avanabbema@wakemag.org.

The Wake Student Magazine 126 Coffman Memorial Union 300 Washington Avenue SE Minneapolis, MN 55455

EDITORIAL:

www.wakemag.org

facebook.com/thewakemagazine

@the_wake

@thewakemagazine

PRODUCTION:

THIS ISSUE:

Editor-in-Chief

Alex Van Abbema

Executive Director

Lianna Matt

Photographers

Managing Editor

Abby Richardson

Creative Director

Kate Doyle

Bella Dally-Steele, Carter Blochwitz

Cities Editor

Erik Newland

Art Director

Taylor Daniels

Voices Editor

Emma Klingler

Designers

Andrew Tomten

Sound & Vision Editors

Olivia Heuskinveld

Kellen Renstrom

Shawnna Stennes

Olivia Novotny

Online editor

Carson Kaskel

Finance Manager

Chris Bernatz

Copy editor

Alex Wittenberg

PR/Ad Manager

Effie Mogusu

Laura Beier

Social Media

Holly Wilson

Chelsea Reynolds

Web development

Laurel Tieman

Faculty Advisor

Editorial Interns Avery Boehm, Bella Dally-Steele, Claire Becker, Emily Martens, Gabby Granada, Hannah Kloos, Helena Mueller, Isabella Murray, John Blocher, Liv Martin, Sammy Brown

Julia Holmes Production Interns Brooke Herbert, Grace Steward, Rakshit Kalra Art & Design Interns Cameron Smith, Emily Hill, Helen Teague, Lindy Wirth, Katie Heywood, Megan Smith, Xavier Wang, Weiying Zhu

Illustrators Cameron Smith, Emily Hill, Jaye Jungmin Ahn, Katie Heywood, Mariah Crabb, Ruby Guthrie, Taylor Daniels, Weiying Zhu Inside Cover Megan Smith Contributing Writers Annika Kohrt, Avery Boehm, Bella Dally-Steele, Ben Halom, Carter Blochwitz, Callum Leemkuil-Schuerman, Chris Shea, Claire Becker, Claudia Althoen, Colin Miller, Emily Martens, Gabby Granada, Isabella Murray, Jack Hedlund-Fay, Jacob Van Blarcom, John Blocher, Karl Witkowiak, Liv Martin, Rachel Stassen-Berger, Sammy Brown, Shawnna Stennes

WINK ! ONE-PAGE MAGAZINE

Minnesotan Beers Minnesotan Cold

BY ERIK NEWLAND The seasonal brews for craft beer fans don’t end with Oktoberfest. Winter has come to the city in force now, and plenty of local breweries are creating seasonal specials for you over the cold, dark days ahead.

This year, I hope you like your IPAs double-strength, dark and rich, but with some experimental sweetness: fruity flavors, especially grapefruit, are certainly in fashion right now.

Surly’s Abrasive Ale is a double IPA already on shelves.

Surly describes Abrasive as aromatic and dry with “aggressive aromas of candied grapefruit…and tropical fruit.” Reviewers on Beer Advocate call it very hoppy with a variety of citrusy flavors.

What’s the most annoying Christmas song?

13%

All of them

13%

“Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time”

17%

Michael Bublé’s cover – “Santa Buddy”

22%

“Do They Know It’s Christmas?”

35%

“Christmas Shoes”

612Brew has a double IPA as well, their Bitter Cold IPA releasing in January.

Indeed Brewing’s winter specialty is their Stir Crazy Winter Ale, which is not tropical but still fruity, with raisins accenting the brown sugar, cocoa and vanilla.

One Minnesota brewery wants to break the mold of dark beers for winter. New Belgium’s Accumulation White IPA, on shelves already, is intended to be much lighter, and reviews say it succeeds.

Schell’s Snowstorm makes its return with another unique recipe this winter. Reviewers praised the English-style brown ale last winter for its nuttiness and Christmas-y spice flavor.

I tried the 2016 Snowstorm, and while it was a perfectly good brown ale, the spices were toned down significantly compared to other creatively flavored craft beers I’ve had.

P G. 4

10 Subcultures We All Wish Would Come Back

BY SHAWNNA STENNES My intent here was to write a list of extinct subcultures that should resurrect and join our precious present moment. I was envisioning the extravagant and androgynous homemade costumes of the Blitz Kids in ‘80s London and the beautiful glittered beards of the Cockettes in ‘70s San Francisco. Yet, as I began my research, excited and ready to stumble across some new magical subcultures, I instead stumbled across the realization that subcultures are unbreakably linked to the certain moment in history when they manifested–the era is essential to the subculture. Out of their era and into the present day, the subculture becomes hollow without the fire of its original mission of subversion. By wishing they would come back, I am disregarding how personal these acts of resistance were to the (most often marginalized) communities; I’m minimizing them into an item of clothing, a hairstyle, or a guitar reverb sound. The pachuco(a)s of ‘40s Los Angeles were Mexican-Americans who wore large puffy pants and skirts with oversized coats. This style signified defiance during World War II, a time when xenophobia was prevailing and people were troubled by shifting gender roles. The Teddy Girls of ‘50s London flaunted their aristocratic Edwardian Drape jackets not for the pursuit of posh but rather to satirically subvert. Most Teddy Girls and Boys came from working-class neighborhoods that were still tending to their war wounds; after a period of wartime attire that was heavy on practicality, the Teddy subculture sought to defy that fashion routine of function over form. So it is good to not disregard the era of a subculture, yes, but of course we must still pay tribute! Let’s admire them and be made curious by them! Let’s remix their spirit into our subcultures of today!

NOV 28–DEC 11

T H E WA K E

CITIES

(Local) Post-Election Analysis A new era of Minnesota politics

A RT BY M A R I A H C R A B B

EMILY MARTENS

On Nov. 9, the Humphrey School of Public Affairs hosted a panel to analyze how the Minnesota senate flipped from DFL to GOP control—both the state Senate and House are now a Republican majority. Veteran Pioneer Press political reporter Rachel Stassen-Berger moderated this conversation between Democratic Senate Majority-now Minority-Leader Tom Bakk and Republican House Majority Leader Joyce Peppin on Minnesota’s new political set up.

Firstly, Bakk said the DFL is no longer representative of rural Minnesotan ideals. The biggest issue in this election was voters wanting radical change, he said in the discussion. In trying to replace the “traditional establishment,” many voted to invoke as much change as possible, contributing to the shift in the Minnesota Senate.

Minnesotans want a reformation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), according to both Bakk and Peppin.

N OV 28–D EC 1 1

For many Minnesotans, especially in rural areas, the price of health care still seems too expensive. Their wave of Republican votes to oppose the ACA surprised Bakk. “I woke up election day feeling pretty good,” he said. “As the day went I began to worry.”

“I wake up and I go to work with hopes of making Minnesota a little bit better for my grandchildren than it was for me” The panel tried to answer questions about how the Republican Party will respond to President Trump.

“[At this moment] we have no way of knowing how to react,” Peppin said. “We have to see what he does and then [the party] will choose to embrace him or not.” She emphasized that despite uncertainty, the people want three main things: healthcare reformation, diversification of both parties, and change. Optimally, the legislature in the future will be a body representative of the people, she added.

Both legislators agreed it is imperative to emphasize bipartisanship and reaching across the aisle.

The future may remain uncertain for a while. America “is a big ship, it turns very very slowly,” Bakk said. Both legislators agreed getting results in state government begins with electing good people. “I wake up and I go to work with hopes of making Minnesota a little bit better for my grandchildren than it was for me,” Bakk said. “That’s all there is to it.”

P G. 5

C IT IES

THE WAKE

ASYLUM IN CRISIS

8 Minnesota Cambodians threatened with deportation

BY CARTER BLOCHWITZ

On Aug. 29, Chamroeun Phan left for a routine check-in at the immigration offices, planning to go straight to work afterwards. Upon arrival, Phan was taken into custody by officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with the intent to detain him for questioning by the Cambodian government and arrange his deportation to Cambodia.

This sudden detention and threat of deportation grew from two decades worth of foreign relations and legislative discourse that, in 1996, broadened the definition and reduced the threshold of jail time required to constitute an “aggravated” felony. In combination with a 2002 shift in Cambodian-American relations, Cambodian immigrants became subject to immediate deportations upon receiving 365 days of jail time.

“In ‘96 there was a ‘tough on crime’ mentality,” explained Vichet Chhuon, an associate professor in the Asian American Studies program at the University of Minnesota.

“This is a case of playing politics with people’s lives.”

“The Cambodian case is different than the rest,” Chhuon said. The MN 8 “entered the country as legal immigrants— refugees with political asylum. The state had a responsibility to accept these refugees, having contributed to the conditions that forced them to flee from their homeland.”

Why these men were detained now, in most cases many

“This is a case of playing politics with people’s lives.”

P G. 6

W E I Y I NG ZH U

Phan’s arrest was one of a string of eight incidents involving Cambodian refugees in Minnesota who have previously served felony sentences. According to the Returnee Integration Support Center, since 2002 about eight Cambodian refugees have been deported a month.

The eight Cambodian men currently facing deportation, now referred to as the “MN8,” came to America as young children in the 1980s, fleeing a brutal end to the Vietnam War with their families. After their parents escaped the “killing fields” of Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge dictatorship, many were born in the refugee camps of neighboring Thailand, never having set foot in Cambodia.

Of the more than 150,000 Cambodians that eventually sought refuge in the United States, around 10,000 settled in Minnesota, including Chamroeun Phan, the seven other men, and their families.

years after they had served their sentences, remains a mystery that Chhuon chalked up to the “black box” or unpredictable and random nature of decision making among the government and ICE.

man,” Chum said about her brother. “He loves to fish and spend time with his family. His wife just graduated college and he has raised his four-year-old daughter to be respectful, faithful and kind to others.”

In the particular case of Chamroeun “Shorty” Phan, a 2009 charge of damage to property at a business he frequented resulted in charges requiring him to reimburse the business owner and serve a 365-day sentence. Phan paid for the damage he caused within the first month of his incarceration and only spent around 40 days total in jail, serving the rest of his sentence on probation.

Chamroeun Phan’s family, which relies on his support and income, has had limited contact with him as he has been moved to numerous federal prisons around the U.S. In California, Phan met with the Cambodian consulates ultimately responsible for his fate. Cambodia remains under pressure by the U.S. government to take deportees or face visa restrictions.

“When Shorty was charged, he pled guilty,” said Phan’s sister, Montha Chum. “He was never told it would affect his immigration status.”

In 2010, the Supreme Court case Padilla v.

Commonwealth of Kentucky created a law requiring non-citizens such as Phan to be advised of how a guilty plea would affect their immigration status. This law did not retroactively apply to Phan’s sentencing the year before.

“Growing up was tough—we were basically thrown into the inner-cities and lived in poverty. Shorty got into trouble growing up, but he became a changed

“He’s back in Sherburne County now, but we’re only allowed 20-minute visits,” Chum said. “We don’t even get to talk to him through a window, we have to use a video screen.”

Montha Chum and the families of the other MN8 have held peaceful rallies in downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul calling for state representatives to write letters and express opposition to the deportations. So far only U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison has written to ICE demanding time for the MN8 to pursue resentencing or apply for a pardon.

More information can be found on the “Release MN 8” Facebook page.

NOV 28–DEC 11

T H E WA K E

CITIES

More Than Dusty Books in Caves A visit to the Minnesota Archives Symposium

BY ANNIKA KOHRT

On Nov. 14, archivists gathered at the University of Minnesota for their annual Minnesota Archives Symposium. This year’s theme was, “Archives in Conversation.”

Unlike the quiet stereotype of librarians, the archivists were an open group of people, quick to chat with me during the lunch break about the large pizza selection, and about archive work. The group was mostly women, and many of them were sporting piercings and colored hair. One woman was wearing a Ms. Frizzle-esque dress covered in adorable cartoon envelopes and letters.

There are a surprising amount of neat quirks to the field of library work that one can only find by talking to librarians over pizza and ginger ale.

Neatest of all the quirks was the idea of corporate archives. Librarians aren’t just burrowing into dark caverns of books, like the ones under Andersen Library, or sitting behind the help desks at your public libraries.

General Mills, Red Wing Shoes, and IBM employ archivists. They work with marketing people to appeal to our senses of nostalgia by finding old pictures, styles, and events to reference.

The other unexpected part was the technology side of archiving. The science of archiving takes a large amount of money and technology, although that part of archiving is generally not accessible for most organizations, or even corporate archives. The archiving technology industry was represented at

the symposium by a series of booths with the latest innovations in archiving, such as the Indus BookScanner 9000, which was advertised as “a planetary overhead scanner designed specifically for books, periodicals, and fragile documents.” Those range in price from $20,000 to $40,000 depending on size. Only largescale archives could rationalize that price tag for their digitization efforts. The archivists at the symposium doubted that there would come a time when everything was digitized—mostly because it’s hard to pay for.

Archivist work in general is expensive. It’s difficult for them to stock with this technology, to hire full-time staff, and to maintain the enormous amounts of space needed for continually growing collections. This has consequences for archivists themselves.

Up-and-coming archivists have few positions to choose from, making their job market rather competitive. The symposium featured a panel that gave advice to young archiving professionals. Most of the speakers had resumés of impressive length, with long lists of unpaid internships. Ultimately, it seemed that finding archiving work was building up experience and networking. Or “luck, initiative, and a lot of humility,” as Lisa Calahan, head of archival processing at the university said.

Intense networking is particular to archiving, though.

It’s a small community and the attendees at the symposium claimed to know more than half of the other attendees. Many have worked with each other in the small field of archiving where building up experience is so important, but it’s also common for them to meet the same people at events like these. Besides Monday’s Twin Cities Archives Round Table’s symposium, there are several other annual archiving events. This one was cited as a favorite, however, because it’s so local—so many people see old friends and co-workers.

However, such a small and tight-knit field can become somewhat homogenous. People working in archiving are predominantly white and female, and that may be slow to change. One needs an expensive master’s degree to pursue the career of an archivist or librarian, and it’s generally a low-paying career.

KATIE H EY WOO D

Because it’s a mostly femaledominated field, there were at least two stories shared at the symposium wherein a higher-up took maternity leave, and someone lower down was given the opportunity to take responsibility and prove themselves.

N OV 28–D EC 1 1

The Andersen caverns, below where the symposium was held, are a separate, otherworldly experience of books and papers filling entire literal caverns. Yet despite the size of these caverns—2.7 million cubic feet of sand and stone were carved out for these books and papers—the spaces are at capacity. This was a common problem for the archivists at the symposium. Yet they work with what they are given. Essentially, archivists adapt.

P G. 7

C IT IES

THE WAKE

A NEW HIVE FOR RESEARCH A look into the University of Minnesota’s Bee and Pollinator Research Lab

BY CLAUDIA ALTHOEN The Bee and Pollinator Research Lab opened on Oct. 29 as a cohesive space for bee research and to engage the university community.

In the lobby of the new building on the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus, small, honey-colored hexagons protrude from the standalone centerpiece, which draws your eyes in like an abstract, frozen honey flow. Made in Portugal, it acts as an informal divider between the lobby and the offices; it lets curiosity guide you around its corner. Bee memorabilia lines the shelves in the wall, and West African beehives decorate the visiting space, thankfully lacking bees.

Bee Squad Program Director Dr. Becky Masterman led the tour of the new facility beginning with a brief history of the Bee Lab. The lab goes all the way back to 1913, when it was called “The Division of Bee Culture.”

State-funded bonds covered two-thirds of the $6.45 million laboratory built by Alliance. The new facility brings together all the crucial parts for the Bee Lab into one building—a functional honeycomb, so to speak.

She led the tour group outdoors to the pollinator garden. Each part of the garden plays a crucial role for the bees. The trees planted on the edges provide resin for the insects, which is used in the formation of the honeycomb cells. The stone sculpture created by Craig David has the capacity and functionality to be a house for stem-nesting bees. Next on tour were the research labs.

The Bee Lab is composed of two

TAYLOR DANIE L S

P G. 8

labs–the honeybee and the native, or wild, labs. One of the projects that the honeybee lab is focused on is hygienic behavior and bee breeding. In this study, the long-term goal is to reduce the amount of pesticides and antibiotics used in beehives.

Currently, pesticides are used in many places to control parasitic mite populations, and antibiotics are used to control diseases. Hygienic bees can remove infected bees from a colony before the mites spread to other worker bees. The focus currently for the project is to help beekeepers select for this trait. A project being conducted in the wild bee lab involves restoration ecology. They are studying the colony formation of bees in restored prairie habitats.

Masterman explained the differences between honeybees and native bees. There are 420 species of native bees, and most are solitary. Honeybees, on the other hand, are not native, but are instead, managed.

Both types are crucial to the environment—the wild type being efficient pollinators of some native plants, and honeybees, as we all know, are the primary type used for honey production. Minnesota ranks fifth in honeybee production, and in the U.S. overall, there are 2.6 million colonies. Bees are on the decline, endangering crops we depend on such as almonds, avocados, coffee, and squash.

Everything in the labs has its place. Systematic and organized, there is space left for freethinking and space for collaboration.

At the back of the building are the bee boxes. Some of the bee boxes house European honeybees. These bees are relatively adapted to the cold through the use of thermoregulating. According to Masterman, the middle of a bee cluster can be as much as 70 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the bees only warm themselves up, not the boxes, “like penguins,” she said.

Masterman and the other researchers showed their zeal for working with bees during the tour. Cathy Shaw, a beekeeper visiting from Rochester, Minn., said that her favorite part about beekeeping is “everything. You never know what’s going to happen.”

Dr. Masterman expects that the bee lab will grow collaboratively, and she is hoping that since the lab is more integrated into the St. Paul campus, more undergraduates will engage with the lab. Currently, the lab offers one tour a month, but they are planning to increase it to two tours per month. The Bee Lab is “paid for by the people, so we want to give them access,” Masterman said.

NOV 28–DEC 11

T H E WA K E

VOICES

YOU ARE WHOM YOU ROOT FOR Perspective on our psychological connection to the love of the game from a Chicago sports fan

BY GABBY GRANADA For some, watching professional sports is a convenient excuse to consume copious amounts of beer and queso with friends on a Sunday afternoon. But for many others across the globe, following professional sports teams is nothing short of religion, a way of life, even an integral part of one’s identity.

What is it that feels so natural about screaming at the top of our lungs at grown men and women chasing each other in an arena?

Surprisingly, despite bitingly cold weather, being hopelessly outnumbered by Minnesota Wild fans, and generally being averse to anything involving eye-black and/or a scoreboard, Bridget says she loved the entire experience:

“To true sports fans, a team’s record of wins and losses are more than statistics, they’re bragging rights, prestige, and on a more personal level, your sense of pride.”

Some psychologists believe the pleasure we derive from watching sports is primal. Dr. Robert Cialdini, psychology professor at Arizona State, stated in a New York Times article that he believes, “Our sports heroes are our warriors.” Their jerseys are the armor of a modern day gladiator, and their stadium, our shining, new Colosseum. To true sports fans, a team’s record of wins and losses are more than statistics; they’re bragging rights, prestige, and on a more personal level, your sense of pride. Dr. Cialdini insists, “Whoever you root for represents you.’’

I’ve experienced that level of euphoria contingent on a team before—three times to be exact—when the Chicago Blackhawks not only ended their championship drought but built a dynasty, winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015.

The deep connection I have to my favorite sports teams, although subjectively insane, isn’t entirely atypical. Having a common cause to root for is, at its core, the most human connection there is. Whether you’re competing for the NHL Stanley Cup or the global prestige of Olympic Gold, the connection between fans and their beloved teams has the power to make a city of one million or even a country of 300 million feel more like a home.

Eric Simmons, author of “The Secret Lives of Sports Fans: The Science of Sports Obsession,” explains

I was horribly sleep-deprived and barely able to scrounge up enough money to buy a plane ticket home, but I don’t think I’ll ever regret spontaneously cutting class to catch a 4 a.m. plane back to Chicago the morning of the Cubs World Series parade. Did I ace my Biogeography midterm that following Monday after spending an entire weekend screaming “GO CUBS GO!” and hi-fiving drunk Chicagoans in Wrigleyville? In a shocking turn of events: no. (However, if you’re reading this, Mom, then the answer is yes. I passed that test with flying colors due to what I can only conclude was divine intervention.)

With an estimated five million in attendance, Fox 32 Chicago reports that the Cubs World Series parade was the seventh largest gathering in human history. That’s history being made in real time and an experience that stays with someone for a lifetime. Celebrating a championship with my closest friends in the city we grew up in takes precedence over everything, regardless of whether the victory contributes to an already growing dynasty or has been 108 years in the making.

WEIYING ZHU

A couple weeks ago, my roommates came home to me nervously rocking back and forth in front of our TV, the Chicago flag draped over my shoulders and my face shielded behind my hands. I looked nothing short of possessed. The catalyst for my paranormal activity: the Chicago Cubs were a single out away from winning the World Series. A smile erupted on the face of the Cubs’ third baseman, Kris Bryant, as he scooped the final grounder into his glove. The Cubs were about to break a 108-year curse. The effects of this final out were larger than any of us. This was going to change an entire city.

“That day was one of the best memories from freshman year. And honestly, I think I had so much fun at the game because of how much fun you were having. You knew all the players’ names, their best friends, their hometowns—that’s insane.”

to the Seattle Times, “The more we follow a team, the deeper the bond becomes. They’re us, and competing on a literal level as us…It’s phenomenal.”

I, similar to nearly every kid from my neighborhood, come from a Chicagoan hockey family. To us, the Blackhawks are far more than a team. They’re the featured ornaments on our Christmas trees, the main contributors to our TV bills, and the unofficial 40-plus members of our extended family.

Last February, my roommate Bridget and I were lucky enough to attend the Blackhawks vs. Wild Winter Classic game at TCF Bank Stadium, a couple blocks outside our freshman dorm.

N OV 28–D EC 1 1

P G. 9

VO IC ES

THE WAKE

“Locker Room Talk” at Harvard University (of all places) A closer look at the lewd “scouting report” written by the Harvard men’s soccer team about female recruits

BY CLAIRE BECKER I would rate the collective Harvard men’s soccer team approximately as a zero out of 10. Correction: I would rate the collective Harvard men’s soccer team approximately as a zero out of 10 if rating other human beings—multifaceted, intellectually profound creatures full of feelings, dreams and passions—was appropriate in any way, shape, or form on any planet in the known universe.

Student-run publication The Harvard Crimson recently unearthed a 2012 “scouting report,” evidence that the student-athletes who make up Harvard’s men’s soccer team—yes, that Harvard, you know, the Ivy League home to our nation’s best and brightest—have a standing tradition of rating female soccer recruits on a 1 to 10 scale.

Even more disturbingly, the ratings in this “scouting report” are accompanied by sexually vulgar comments regarding the women’s appearances and perceived sexual histories. For instance, a 2012 report written

“Isn’t it concerning that these men— men who could quite likely go on to hold jobs in law enforcement, journalism, even politics—have such a blatant disrespect for women?” by one prestigious scholar stated about a female recruit: “She seems relatively simple and probably inexperienced sexually, so I decided missionary would be her preferred position.” Another equally intellectual gem said: “She seems to be very strong, tall and manly so, I gave her a 3 because I felt bad. Not much needs to be said on this one folks.”

Clearly, there’s something wrong with this picture. But how does it actually affect the women, you ask? They don’t normally read these reports, right? So why should it matter?

These types of questions have been circulating the media as of late. They’ve been especially prominent in the responses to President-elect Donald Trump’s “locker room talk” scandal. Here’s the deal: Even if, in theory, the ladies of the Harvard women’s soccer team never found out about the scouting report, it is chilling to consider that men who attend such a prestigious university condone speaking about women in such a manner. Isn’t it concerning that these men—men who could quite likely go on to hold jobs in law enforcement,

P G. 1 0

decided a woman’s sexual position ought to be missionary. It was a Harvard student. It wasn’t a reckless burnout who said, “I did try and fuck her. She was married.” It was our president-elect.

The women who were subject to this sickening “locker room talk” had a powerful response. In an op-ed column run in the Harvard Crimson, the women collectively addressed the issue, not only discussing their shared experience, but offering advice to other women: “Band together in combating this type of behavior, because we are a team and we are stronger when we are united.” The team also extends this invitation to men: “Ultimately we are all members of the same team.

We are human beings and we should be treated with dignity.”

As men who condone this type of insolence continue to rise to power, it becomes increasingly important that we heed the advice of the Harvard women’s soccer team and stick together to prevent this behavior at all costs.

The women then directly address the issue of “locker room talk,” stating, “‘Locker room talk’ is not an excuse because this is not limited to athletic teams. The whole world is the locker room.” Again, the overtly damaging nature of this type of dialogue is raised.

Condoning contempt for women, even within the confined atmosphere of a locker room, isn’t just “boys being boys.” It’s men—powerful, Harvard men— being blatantly sexist and normalizing it in their communities, making it seem like a standard practice and one that is natural in expressing masculinity. I cannot stress enough how damaging this is.

I’m not saying this issue only applies to men who attend Ivy League schools. I’m simply pointing out that this case is especially egregious because of the fact that these men attend Harvard University.

Objectification and disrespect of women is never acceptable; however, when “locker room talk” originates from the educated mouths of world leaders and supposedly intellectual scholars, the issue becomes worrisome on a terrifyingly grandiose level.

It wasn’t an uneducated slacker who

The women end their letter on a particularly striking statement. Here, they speak directly—and in a manner truly befitting Harvard students—to any men who may erroneously “lay claim” to their bodies in the future: “I can offer you my forgiveness, which is—and forever will be—the only part of me that you can ever claim as yours.”

KATIE HEYWOOD

Zero out of 10.

journalism, even politics—have such a blatant disrespect for women? These are men who could very well end up running our country one day. In fact, it’s already happening.

NOV 28–DEC 11

T H E WA K E

VOICES

A reflection on the 2016 presidential election

BY CHRIS SHEA

I did feel it initially during the primaries when I voted for Bernie Sanders. It was exhilarating to have a candidate I was so passionate about. When the Wisconsin primary grew near I requested my absentee ballot. When it arrived in the mail, I was so excited to cast my first ever vote, and I was glad that I helped my favorite candidate win my home state.

As the Democratic primaries drew to an end, I had to come to terms that Bernie would not be my party’s

nominee; it would instead be Hillary Clinton after the party elites rigged the primaries in her favor. She may not have been my initial choice to be the president, but I will always back the nominee of my party, as party unity is necessary to win elections.

Election Day finally came, and the polls were indicating a good night for Democrats. Alas, the Democrats had an awful night, and I watched as many states went to Trump. I finally understand what he meant when he said there’d be “so much winning that you may even get tired of winning.”

For me, the biggest surprise of the election was how wrong the polls were.

Throughout the election cycle, many media outlets gave the edge to Clinton, especially by electoral victory.

I still wonder exactly what the polls got wrong.

As disappointed as I am in the results, I am still optimistic about the future. This is America; we can overcome anything so long as we are a nation united.

MARIAH CRABB

The reality television show that was the 2016 presidential election is now over, and the American people have elected Donald J. Trump to be our commander-in-chief, along with Mike Pence as VP. For 15 percent of those who voted, it was their first time casting a ballot in a presidential election. I was a part of that 15 percent, and voting was something I had been looking forward to for many years. I remember the way my family felt during 2008, and could not wait to have that same feeling of excitement over a presidential candidate.

Sadly, I did not feel that same magic during this cycle.

Implications of a silenced opposition and a crumbling democracy Last May, again before the coup, he removed his

BY BEN HALOM

TAYLOR DANIELS

On Nov. 4, the leaders of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), Turkey’s largest left wing, pro-Kurdish opposition party, were arrested along with 10 of the HDP’s representatives in parliament. This arrest, which occurred in the middle of the night, represents the latest step in Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s purge of opposition to his increasingly authoritarian government, which has accelerated after an attempted military coup in July. Since the coup, Erdogan has arrested 36,000 government officials and fired over 100,000.

N OV 28–D EC 1 1

Erdogan has been consolidating his power for years, focusing especially on keeping the HDP out of parliament and passing a constitutional amendment to give him sweeping presidential power. The coup simply provided the latest in a long line of excuses. Last summer, for instance, after losing his parliamentary majority in the general election due to surprising gains by the HDP, Erdogan stepped up the war against Kurdish rebels, sending troops into Kurdish territory in Turkey and setting curfews in Kurdish cities. Many believe this new war effort contributed to Erdogan’s surprising victory in the snap elections he called that fall after failing to create a ruling parliamentary coalition.

key ally, Prime Minister Davutoglu, from office due to disagreements about his desire to create a new presidential constitution in Turkey. Under the current constitution, the prime minister holds much of the executive power. In addition, Erdogan has stepped up his continued effort to silence media opposition, now holding 126 journalists in prison—more than any other country in the world.

All this has not gone unnoticed by other democracies with ties to Turkey, especially members of the European Union, an organization that Turkey currently wishes to join. European Council President Donald Tusk has reportedly stated that the bloc of nations may seek sanctions against Turkey if the crackdown continues.

The U.S. response was more nuanced, with the White House emphasizing Turkey’s role as a key ally in the region, but warning that the government must respect the rule of law.

In the past, western nations and democratic movements in the Middle East have looked to Turkey as a successful secular democracy in a Muslim region, a counterexample to racist claims that people there were not ready for free institutions. If the Erdogan regime continues to restrict democracy in the nation, it will be a demoralizing blow to many who held hope for the spread of democracy in the Middle East.

P G. 11

VO IC ES

THE WAKE

DEFINITIVE INSTA-RANKING These 10 must-follow household names have made their mark on Instagram CAMERON SMITH

BY AVERY BOEHM Instagram is the fastest growing social media platform, according to a study conducted by Pew Research Internet Project. We have our eyes on the photo-sharing social media app at all times for inspiration, news and comic relief. Fifty-five percent of young adults aged 18-29 use Instagram, meaning that Instagram is a source of influence for over half of millennials. Some of the biggest influencers on Instagram are celebrities and public figures.

These household names use their Instagram accounts in a variety of ways.

From artistic inspiration to a platform for social causes, these people show that Instagram is a social media platform where entertainment, beauty and activism intersect. The Instagram accounts below are some of my personal favorites, ranked by their successful balance of style and substance.

10. @shailenewoodley: While other Instagrammers spend hours choosing the perfect filter or witty caption, Shailene Woodley has none of these trivial decisions on her mind when she posts. Woodley’s account is a platform for her latest social justice causes. She made a social media account and transformed it into a space to speak on the current issues that she actively supports, such as the Dakota Access Pipeline controversy.

9. @barackobama: President Obama’s account features some of his governmental plans (as is to be expected). However, the unexpected element of this account is the intimate moments he shares. For example, a picture wishing Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, a happy wedding anniversary and the numerous snapshots of the president mid-laughter. President Obama’s account is surprisingly feel-good and down-to-earth.

8. @itsdougthepug: Doug The Pug is the cutest dog in the business and, surprisingly, there are many pug Instagram accounts out there. He conquers Instagram in his many themed ensembles. He wears pumpkin hats, flannel shirts and monkey costumes better than any other dog I’ve seen. Doug has found his voice on this social media platform. The pug shares his thoughts on everything from the fall weather to his favorite food, pizza.

7. @kanyewest: Yeezy has around 1.9 million followers. His account, though, features only one post. Still, he is a must-follow. Kanye is Kanye. He keeps us in suspense. Will he ever post another photo? If so, What will it be? Will he grace us with a selfie? It’s doubtful, but we can dream.

4. @vanessahudgens: Your “High School Musical” girl-crush is all grown up. Vanessa Hudgens’ account is a work of art. Her account is more of an inspo-board than a social media page. It is filled with pictures of herself, her favorite quotes and inspiration style pictures that create a bohemian vibe.

3. @lupitanyongo: Lupita Nyong’o’s account is beautiful beyond words. Her pictures are rich with color and vibrant in quality. Nyong’o’s playful personality shows through in her whimsical Boomerang videos. She also uses her account to celebrate her Kenyan roots.

in the fight for racial equality. In 2015, Copeland became the first African-American female principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre. She uses her account not only to show her tremendous talent for dancing, but also as a platform to share her thoughts on positive body image and racial injustice.

2. @kendalljenner: Kim K. has ruled social media since before we can all remember, but it looks like she has some competition in the family. The 21-year-old knows cool-girl style like no one else. Kendall Jenner’s candid posts seem cryptic at times, only adding to the mystique of the supermodel and leaving us all wishing she’d let us into her supermodel posse. The intrigue has only increased since her recent announcement that she was temporarily leaving Instagram. We eagerly await your return, Kendall.

5. @emmawatson: From Harry Potter to UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, Emma Watson has come into her own. Emma posts pictures that range from depicting her gracing the stage, making groundbreaking speeches in her fight for gender equality to snapshots of the latest book she can’t set down. Although Watson is an internationally known figure, her Insta account manages to be undeniably relatable.

1. @shaym: Let me just say: Shay Mitchell slays the Insta game. The “Pretty Little Liars” star knows how to grab followers’ attention. Shay spreads her positive and healthy outlook on her account. She often posts motivational quotes that inspire her followers and pictures that show off and celebrate her curvy body. Mitchell’s account is filled with bright hues that amp up the good vibes Shay flaunts on her page.

6. @mistyonpointe: Misty Copeland is a modern legend in the world of ballet and

P G. 1 2

NOV 28–DEC 11

T H E WA K E

FEATUR E

Bad Girls beautiful communities

A LOOK INSIDE MINNEAPOLIS’S ROLLER DERBY SCENE

BY BELLA DALLY-STEELE

N OV 28–D EC 1 1

P G. 13

F E AT URE

THE WAKE

From a second floor balcony, the sport appears downright elegant: Agile bodies swing around a track, weaving in between one another in an entrancing orbit, bodies ricocheting with ease and elasticity. Trackside, however, the scene transforms. Women heave themselves against gravity, bruised elbows and knees bang into the track, bodies plow into one another, and players skid into the penalty box, dripping with sweat and spitting out mouth guards. These are the gritty close-ups of roller derby.

After gaining popularity in the 1970s as an alternative to the speed skating craze, roller derby has since earned the status of the ultimate cult sport. On a superficial level, a derby team is made up of seven players: a jammer, five blockers, and a pivot. The jammer, helmet emblazoned with a golden star, attempts to weave through the blockers to lap the brawling pack as many times as possible. The blockers throw themselves in the jammers’ way, hoping to prevent their passing. In the event that a team’s jammer is called out on a penalty, one blocker, the lucky pivot, may take her teammate’s place. Each skating period, dubbed a “jam”, lasts two minutes, with 30 jams per half. Throughout the game, fists fly, bodies slam, and skates skid.

“Roller girls”, as players are called, exude a certain aura of bravery, spunk, and rebellion that enthralls spectators. They are the guerrilla fighters of the track, the brawling women who spit on convention and clash with the man. Because of this, the influence of the roller derby community extends far beyond the typical bounds of athleticism to inspire a culture of inner strength and self-love among their players and spectators. Beneath the gritty exterior of the game, derby is much more than a rolling Fight Club.

P G. 1 4

Minneapolis is home to two major roller derby leagues: the Minnesota RollerGirls and the North Star Roller Girls. Before their second tournament of the season, Minneapolis’s reigning champions the Atomic Bombshells invited me to shadow their practice. All four teams in the Minnesota RollerGirls league—the Dagger Dolls, the Atomic Bombshells, The Rockits, and the Garda Belts—practice in Roy Wilkins Auditorium, dividing the room into various sizes of practice tracks.

A local chiropractor has set up shop in the corner; he visits the team before every tournament, offering complimentary massages and the occasional knee alignment.

While lacing up, Trudy Sawicki, known as Hurtrude Stein on the track, explains the team’s structure to me, their strong ties with their sponsors, and their “Skaterrun, skater-owned” mentality.

The teams divide up tasks amongst themselves, creating and staffing committees for the various activities that make bouts possible: production, ticket sales, and human resources, to name a few. Working in conjunction with a committee, each player is required to fulfill a minimum of seven event credits each season to keep the league running. Because they support themselves, the teams are considered amateur, a classification which Jess LaRotonda, a fellow Atomic Bombshell, kindly clarifies for me: “Being an amateur team, it means that we have control over what we do. It’s not that we’re not fucking good,” she laughs.

In addition to staffing and running the team, the players give back to the community.

NOV 28–DEC 11

T H E WA K E

FEATUR E

“We focus on women’s and children’s charities; those are really special to us,” Trudy explains. “Our main charity partner is the Ann Bancroft foundation. The part of her organization that we help fund is a micro grant program called the Let Me Play grant. It’s for girls who want to play sports but need a little bit of money to pay for equipment or association fees, so it helps more girls get into sports.”

P H OTO S BY B E L L A DAL LY- ST E E L E

After lacing up for practice, the players take to the track, rubber wheels slamming on cement. The girls practice blocking techniques, refine their communication skills on the track, and work on their agility. After each drill, they circle up to discuss the techniques.

Two hours and countless collisions later, the players hang their mouth guards from their bra straps, unlace their skates, and take to the hallway for a team meeting. Orange cupcakes, matching the team’s uniform, sit in the middle of the team, along with a giant cardboard rectangle covered in a rainbow of scribbled post-its. The players each take two fresh post-its and jot a few words down. One by one, they share their two goals for the upcoming tournament: one personal, and one for the team. Stephanie Karau, aka Chocolate Pain, evokes riots of laughter when she displays a postit that reads “NOT SO DAMN NICE.” After sharing their goals, each roller girl sticks their post-its to the dream board, filling it to capacity.

Watching the Minnesota RollerGirls train and compete, it is impossible to ignore the extreme kindness that permeates the community. To uncover the secret behind this comradery, I turn to University of Minnesota biology professor Annika Moe, aka Moe Rawder.

“The competitive atmosphere and physicality of full contact sports can often feel... hostile (at least to me).

But I go to a derby bout and see women blowing each other up on the track and then after the whistle, helping each other back up and hugging,” Moe explains to me.

“You form close relationships, not just within your team, but across teams.”

group chat, which is overflowing with messages. This camaraderie, she explains, isn’t limited to teammates or even league mates. When she spent five weeks in California for research, the local team adopted her on the spot, making room for her in their practices and bouts.

“If I have to stop skating competitively, I’ll find a way to stay in the derby community. I’ll become a bench coach, a non-skating official, or teach beginners to skate.”

The reason for the roller derby community’s incredible camaraderie, she explains, is the sport’s uncanny ability to empower its players.

“Many people come to roller derby looking for some kind of change or empowerment. I’ve seen women change their career paths, leave unhealthy relationships, battle through a serious illness, come out to their friends and family, or start their own businesses after joining roller derby. It just seems to give people the confidence to do what needs to be done.”

From what I’ve seen, this is nothing short of the truth. In the short time I’ve known them, the women of the Minnesota RollerGirls have embraced me, encouraging me to participate in their team chants, join their prebout traditions, even indulge in their spirited cupcakes. Their strength is not founded in the conceited pride we often associate with major league sports teams, but in a strong sense of self and community as well as a deep love and respect for each other.

When I ask Trudy about the dream board and its origin, I discover that the tradition started just this year.

“Our captains Bully Jean and Steel Magnolia started it. It’s more powerful to visualize things than to just say them out loud. It’s helpful as you go through the season to see your initial goals, and how they grow.”

As she speaks about her hopes of returning to the track next month, Moe’s eyes light up.

You form close relationships, not just within your team, but across teams.

The dream board certainly comes in handy, as the following Saturday the Atomic Bombshells steal the show, placing first. At halftime, the teams descend upon the track to dance with the spectators. The voices of announcers Stalker Channing and John Maddening boom over the loudspeakers, inviting skaters and spectators to let loose to that night’s featured band.

The four teams mix in the crowd, dancing together on skates, their bodies covered in bruises inflicted by both their own teammates and their competitors.

After the tournament, I track down Stalker Channing, Minnesota RollerGirls announcer and former North Stars Roller Girl from 2006 to 2011.

“What I like about announcing is that I just come here and I still get to be part of the community. I get to watch awesome derby, and I get to talk about awesome derby. [The Minnesota RollerGirls] really have upped the game across the nation, and that shows from their national standings, and the quality of the events that they put on.”

N OV 28–D EC 1 1

Moe plays with the North Star Roller Girls as a blocker for the Violent Femmes. A few months ago, while training to become a jammer, she suffered a serious concussion and subsequently has been out of the game. She hopes to recover in time to skate in her team’s next bout on January 7. When I ask her if she considered leaving roller derby after her concussion, she barely hesitates.

“I have this crazy theory, it might be naïve, it might not, that roller derby can change the world. There are thousands of women across the world playing this sport, feeling stronger, becoming stronger and empowered to do good for themselves and others that they might not have otherwise dared to do. That could bring about palpable change in the world.”

“I thought about it—retiring. But when I think of the most important parts of my life, derby is one of them. My health is important too, of course. But I want to skate.”

Despite her hiatus from skating, her relationship with the league hasn’t changed one bit. To prove this, she pulls out her cell phone to show me her league

P G. 15

THE WAKE

Q & A

Colin Campbell & the Shackletons

BY SHAWNNA STENNES

the brothers The Wake: Tell us about your history of making music together as brothers.

Colin: So, we grew up together.

Cameron: No we didn’t.

Colin: Yeah, yeah we did.

It’s a controversial topic.

Cameron: Yeah, it really is. (laughs)

that make up Colin Campbell & the Shackletons grew up playing blues together and listening to local rock. With great respect for their home state and its music history–and big love for The Replacements, they define the genre of their tunes as Twin Cities rock. The young blues rock musicians of the Campbell crew include: Colin, the lead singer and guitarist; Cameron, the bassist; and Evan the drummer (along with honorary member Clay Knoll). The Wake sat down with the oldest brothers, Cameron and Colin, to talk about the release of their new EP on Dec. 27 and the corresponding release show at the 7th St Entry.

Over coffee and bites of sweet waffles, we tackled some hard-hitting topics together: boat symbolism, movies about sharks, the failure of Antarctic explorers, and the roots of Minnesota rock music.

Colin: Well, he started to play the toy guitar, then I started to play the toy guitar, then he got mad that I was playing his toy guitar so he got a bass. And then it kind of went from there. I’ve been in a lot of different bands but nine times out of ten it’s been with them.

Is there a story behind the name, the Shackletons?

Colin: Ernest Shackleton was this early 20th century explorer who was one of the explorers who tried to race to the center of Antarctica. And he was kind of a fuckup. I thought he was great. His ship, the Endurance– which is hilarious it’s called the Endurance, ‘cause it got caught up on the ice and died there. Which is actually the cover of our EP coming out. So Shackleton kind of became a joke, cause every time we play a show it snows, like heavily, violently.

P G. 1 6

NOV 28–DEC 11

T H E WA K E

Q & A

Cameron: Blizzards, it’s ridiculous.

Colin: So we’re like, yeah let’s do that, that’s our name now.

So this ship the Endurance getting stuck in the snow, do you identify with that?

P HOTOS COU RT ESY O F C O L I N C AM P B E L L AN D T H E S H AC KL E TO N S

Colin: Oh, yeah, you better believe I do! I think that ship’s funny. I lived in Bellingham, Wash, last year and I was on the top floor of this dorm room that overlooked Bellingham Bay and down on the waterfront was this abandoned boat called the Horizon Lines and it was there like the whole time. I stared at it a lot when I was writing songs. It didn’t mean anything to me really until it was just gone one day. It was actually sold to go to the Gulf of Mexico to be sold for parts, which breaks my heart. But that’s okay, that’s fine. That’s what the EP is called, it’s the Horizon Lines EP, and it’s mentioned a couple times throughout.

Tell us about your experiences as a band in the local music scene.

Cameron: We’re playing The Replacements tribute show!

Colin: I think if you’re a local band and you don’t appreciate The Replacements, you’re an asshole. I’m half kidding.

Cameron: I’m not.

From what I understand, you guys have a big background in the blues. Do you still identify as a blues band?

Colin: The blues thing is where we emerged from; I think we’re smack dab in the middle of [the music scene] now.

Cameron: We’ll play one blues song every set, let’s be honest.

Colin: We’ll do blues songs ‘cause people love–people don’t know they love blues. People love blues. It’s a fact.

Cameron: It’s really hard not to. If you listen to it, it’s eh, but if you see it live, it’s excellent.

Colin: But then there’s all the Minnesota rock stuff.

When anyone asks what sort of genre we are we always just say Twin Cities rock. It’s very Minnesotan I think. I think your environment has a profound influence on what your music sounds like.

Cameron: When you listen to like any rock band, as weird as it is, it always comes back to The Replacements. The Twin Cities rock sound all goes back to The Replacements.

Colin: Well, then, it all goes back to Hüsker Dü too.

Cameron: Well yeah, The Replacements and Hüsker Dü, to me that whole ‘80s punk scene in the Twin Cities pushed the rock.

Colin: I take way too much pride in Minnesota music stuff. And I lived in Washington, as I said, and this is just a cool city.

If the music of Colin Campbell & the Shackletons was the soundtrack to a movie, what kind of movie would it be?

Colin: There’s a lot of ways I could go with this. This is what I’m gonna do: so Chris Marr, he was the drummer of The Replacements, he did a short film with his animation and he doesn’t know how to animate very well. It was the most bizarre thing.

Cameron: “Jaws.”

Colin: Can we do shark movies? So it’s a shark with, like, a mohawk.

Cameron: I don’t like that.

Colin: What does he have then, dreads?

Cameron: Yeah.

Colin: So we have a shark with dreads who’s voiced by Vin Diesel.

So Shark Tale?

Colin: No it’s nothing like “Shark Tale!”

Cameron: It’s everything like “Shark Tale.”

Colin: There you go, There’s our movie. “Shark Tale.”

God, I hate that movie.

N OV 28–D EC 1 1

P G. 17

S O UND & V I S I O N

FEMALES TO ASTONISH

THE WAKE

On the Changing Roles of Superheroines in Western Comics over the Decades

BY JACK HEDLUND-FAY After the recent release of Marvel’s “Mockingbird #8,” writer Chelsea Cain quit. She had been receiving abusive comments from fan boys disgruntled by increasing prevalence of women in comic production and superheroines like Mockingbird, Spider-Gwen, and Ironheart. With so many media working to be more inclusive, what makes a good superheroine?

Let’s take a look at the history of women in superhero comics.

KAT I E H E Y WO O D

In the ‘40s and ‘50s many comic books were produced specifically for female audiences. While many of these were romances, teen digests, or career-oriented comics like “Millie the Model”, there were also costumed crime fighters like Sheena the jungle queen and Wonder Woman. Apropos of their unconventional audience, these superheroines were strong and independent. While the images in these books would later be frowned upon as overlysexualized and exploitative, female characters in non-traditional roles who owned their sexuality were groundbreaking for their time.

During the ‘60s, comics toned down the sexualization of female superheroes. Career women like Lois Lane, Jean Loring (of “The Atom”), and Carol Ferris (of “Green Lantern”) appeared. Superheroines

like Supergirl strove to be treated as equals and many, like Susan Storm (The Invisible Girl), became cornerstones of their teams and universes.

In the ‘70s, superheroines increased substantially in number. Unfortunately, many, like Thundra and Man-killer, caricatured tensions around the women’s liberation movement. The ‘80s fared better; Susan Storm-Richards changed her alias to Invisible Woman in “Fantastic Four #284” eventually becoming the group’s leader. Wasp temporarily led her team after “West Coast Avengers #32”. Barbara Gordon (Batgirl), crippled in Alan Moore’s “Batman: The Killing Joke”, went on to lead the Birds of Prey as Oracle.

The ‘90s introduced openly lesbian superheroes like Renee Montoya (The Question) and Katherine Kane (Batwoman) as well as unconventional heroes like Tank Girl and Mina Murray (of “The League of Extraordinary Gentleman”), vulgar, violent punk and bisexual suffragist, respectively. Recent comics are more inclusive and forward-thinking and will likely grow more so as the demands of the public change. The medium’s historical portrayal of progressive female characters makes absurd the notion that comics’ recent developments are new or unprecedented. As Stan Lee says: “Excelsior!”

GALLANTLY GLICK

New gallery in Minneapolis curates eclectic art, lofty urban home, and tight-knit community.

BY JACOB VAN BLARCOM On the edge of Minneapolis behind the prolific International Market Square in the city’s design corridor, a new art gallery has opened its doors that has more than just sterile white walls plastered with canvases. The “AGG Art + Home | Glick” gallery not only sells everything that’s on display in their open-concept showroom, but also provides gallery-goers with a simple, yet bold and refreshingly comfortable experience new to the metropolitan area.

reference to the sofa scattered with pillows and a chunky knit blanket that’s situated in the middle of the gallery, where visitors can put the art into context for their lives.

The gallery currently features the paintings of Paul Rusconi, a Los Angeles pop culture painter who uses nail polish as his medium; Louis Waldon, a screen printer for the late Andy Warhol; Julian Lennon, photographer and son of the Beatles’ John Lennon; Daniele Albright, a “fictional space” photographer; and Norman Seeff, celebrity and rock ‘n’ roll photographer.

The Glick Gallery opened earlier this month on November 5 at 811 Glenwood Avenue #270 to a quiet crowd eager to explore the diverse collection of contemporary art, rock ‘n’ roll photography, furniture, clothing, and home and lighting decor that the chic outlet displays in its apartment-like setting.

“Our style is a little Hollywood—we’re a little worldly, here,” said Annalise Glick, owner of the gallery, explaining her inspiration for curating a collection of pop art and modern decor here in the Twin Cities in a homely urban scene. As a Minneapolis native herself, she wanted to bring to the Midwest the vibes that many art galleries she frequents on the West and East coasts provide.

The high-ceilinged showroom has robust views of the Minneapolis skyline and is broken into various “vignettes” that display works of art in real life scenes.

“We don’t want people to lose themselves in the art they fill their homes with, that’s why we wanted to show our pieces in a living, breathing setting,” Glick explains, giving

P G. 1 8

C ARTE R BLOCH WIT Z

She is especially excited to create a space here in Minneapolis where people will want to congregate after work for wine and cheese events, much like people do in New York or Los Angeles to network and appreciate art at friends’ apartments.

NOV 28–DEC 11

T H E WA K E

SCENE -BYSCENE

S OUND & VIS ION

Cine Latino Presents Latin Perspectives on Film

ART BY E M I LY H I L L

BY COLIN MILLER Perhaps now more than ever, Latinx voices must be recognized by a broader audience, moving beyond a designated niche. This month, The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul brought 29 original films from 16 Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries (including the U.S.) to the Twin Cities to showcase the vast array of topics, genres, and talents explored in the fourth annual Cine Latino film festival. Speaking to the progressiveness of the festival is the list of the films’ directors, which features ten women and 17 first- and second-timers as well as more seasoned award winners.

Hebe Tabachnik is the artistic director of Cine Latino for the MSP Film Society, and has done programming for nearly 20 years, working with events in LA and Seattle, travelling the festival circuit and sitting on film juries all over Latin America. She informed me that Minneapolis was among the cities with the largest increment of Latino population in the last census, saying, “we’re giving an opportunity to the local Latino community to find stories from their home countries.”

Those stories range from environmentally-themed documentaries highlighting tensions between Haiti and the Dominican Republic (“Death by a Thousand Cuts”) to adaptations of classic literature (“The Bride”) and so much more. “The scope of this year’s festival is not only larger but also probably more diverse,” noted Tabachnik. I chatted further with Hebe to get an inside look at her labor of love.

How would you characterize Latin American cinema compared to that of other regions?

The emotion level of our cinema is one which eventually resonates more with the audiences. This has been my experience throughout all my years of programming. I have a feeling that, for many reasons, we Latinos are more expressive with how we show our emotions, our frustrations and our anger. I think, when that transpires, people appreciate the opportunity to feel those emotions. The level of candidness is something people need to make a connection with the film. The quality, too, has increased exponentially across the board in terms of cinematography and everything.

Aside from the 29 films, are there any other events that comprise the festival?

For the first time, we are showing short films made by student filmmakers from all over the United States. We wanted to give

N OV 28–D EC 1 1

audiences a chance to see the future of cinema in the form of these short, powerful stories that are full of meaning. We’re also showing some of the films from this festival to local high school students; hoping to inspire questions and conversations among young people.

Is there one film in particular that cannot be missed?

We have the great pleasure of having Francisca Manuel; she’s the lead of a film from Portugal called “Where I Grow Old”. I think it would appeal to anybody from age 15 to 50 because it’s a story of not only friendship but those questions of “What are you doing here?” “Who stays?” “Who goes back?” In this era of globalization where everybody’s traveling and moving around, it’s a very beautiful snapshot of what we all feel at some point.

What’s been challenging about this year’s festival?

It’s always a matter of making sure people know about the festival. It can be hard for people to realize what an amazing opportunity they have with all these great films at the tips of their fingers. I just saw the beautiful “sold out” sign for Neruda which is always the dream of any programmer.

Why do you feel that providing an outlet for Latinx film is so important?

Because we need windows in the world; we need bridges. The more you know about other cultures, the more you understand those cultures, but you also understand yourself. Movies are great because, even if the story is happening to other people in a specific country, at some point it touches your life. In particular with Cine Latino, I think it’s a very powerful region; there are a lot of incredible stories waiting to be told.

Opening a window, creating a bridge of dialogue, of understanding, of enjoyment of other cultures–it diminishes fears about the people’s lives. You think about someone from Colombia and you see them living a life very similar to yours with the same drama—their aspirations, their dreams—it helps us all. We need that more and more every day. Cinema is an amazing way of getting to know people and their circumstances and appreciate them. I really believe in the power of these stories.

P G. 19

S O UND & V I S I O N

THE WAKE

E M I LY H I LL

A PLACE TO BE HUMAN TOGETHER Intertwine Northeast: Minneapolis’ Own Post-Church, Church

BY JOHN BLOCHER Drop by the East Side Neighborhood Services building in Minneapolis on any given Sunday and you will find Mike Rusert, along with 30 or so other congregates, gathered in a sunny room with sculptures of national symbols from around the world hung neatly on the walls. Depending on when you show up between 10 and 11:30 a.m., the group may be doing any number of activities, some of which include drum circles, deep breathing exercises, storytelling, and open dialogues about life and its questions. There are no cover fees, no obligations, and few rules, yet Rusert has coined the community known as Intertwine Northeast as something of a “post-church, church.”

After seeing a decline in the number of adherents at his local church, where Rusert served prior to founding Intertwine last fall, he knew something had to give. His vision to create a space where people could find meaningful dialogue and real compassion regardless of their background was sympathetic to local artist Laura Lou, a recent graduate of Augsburg College’s music therapy program. Following graduation, Lou was advised to seek a job with a church as a means of sparking her music career. Raised in an Irish Catholic family that was informed more by tradition than actual faith, she was willing yet reluctant to take a job singing Sunday praises at Nativity Lutheran Church. As youth participation continued to plummet, she was asked to take on the role of Contemporary Worship Leader, where she struggled to keep the faith of her adherents as well as herself.

“I always felt comfortable being the lead singer of the band on Sundays, but struggled when I had to fill the role of ‘spiritual leader,’” said Lou. “A lot of that had to do with my not so great relationship to God and not feeling safe with the idea of this Big Man watching everything I do. Would he be mad if I screwed everything up?”

Last fall Rusert reached out to Lou about joining Intertwine. Now she’s back to singing on Sundays, with the help of her band and the inspiration of her own original material. The music is uplifting, acoustic, gentle. Heavenly in a secular sense. Once the band finishes playing, Mike Rusert stands to address the gathering. He is bald headed, wonderfully bearded and casually dressed. His peacefulness is effusive; he is happy that everyone has shown up.

“It’s been a crazy week, a crazy year, a crazy decade ... I feel like it’s been crazy since the internet,” began Rusert.

He cracks a joke about the sun blinding us and offers cookies, coffee, water and Crystal Light. It’s something like Donut Sunday at your local church, except there’s no pressure to donate, and you can eat during the service. My kind of church.

Next, Rusert goes over the “Sunday paper,” a newsletter that outlines the day’s agenda and advertises upcoming events–a winter carnival in December, and another event that is beginning to occur more regularly called Meet Me at the River, which is designed to bridge the gap between North and Northeast Minneapolis through music, art, spoken word, storytelling, and dialogue. One of the city's tools historically used to segregate is becoming a site for community and artistic exchange. Any and all are welcome to join.

While the organization is buttressed by support from Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Rusert makes it clear that the organization favors no particular faith and welcomes people from every background. He begins to describe Jesus, a figure often associated with the supernatural. But Rusert prefers an alternative interpretation of the man as “super natural,” emphasizing his unique ability to care for and connect with those he encountered in a way that was more down to earth than godly. Rusert uses the metaphor of a Q-tip to describe how we communicate oftentimes today.

“The doctor tells me I shouldn’t use Q-tips to get the wax out of my ear, but I still do it,” said Rusert. We turn to voices we know aren’t telling us the whole story. We keep going to the same source, but all we’re doing is compacting our ideas more. We’re not fixing the problem.”

Following a period of deep breathing, and a drum circle exercise that focused on listening and responding to one another to create harmony through sound, the open dialogue began. The vulnerability was palpable, but as time went on and participation increased, so did confidence and comfortableness. Intertwine Northeast is still a work in progress, but the message is clear: Everyone’s story is important.

As Laura Lou concluded, “We’re here to try out this concept of storytelling saving us all.”

P G. 20

NOV 28–DEC 11

T H E WA K E

S OUND & VIS ION

HOW ‘90S KIDS HAVE GROWN UP: skateboarding adults continue Zine making to create workshop

M AR I AH C R ABB

provides insight into niche communities

BY ISABELLA MURRAY ‘90s realness. A time when skateboarders were glorified and off-kilter music was cool. So was wearing flannels and not showering. But beyond stereotypes, the most rad part of the ‘90s was that the internet hadn’t dictated humanity yet. Paper publications reigned, and in niche communities, so did zines.

Zines, popularized by subcultures, are basically super saturated magazines that are produced on photocopiers in the basement of record stores, at FedEx Kinkos, or in friends’ daytime job offices. They are leaflets filled with humorous cartoons, poems, short narratives, reviews, and photographs. Most zines stay faithful to a theme–satirical or otherwise.

When it surfaced that Dead Media, a record store in the Seward community of Minneapolis, was hosting a zine-making event, those filled with nostalgia came to indulge in this quirky outlet of expression.

The creative process of zine-making was spread out across three November sessions in the depths of Dead Media, amongst piles of records and old books. The first event was held to act as a catalyst for zine inspiration.

Members of “Deep Fried”, a zine dedicated to punk music and fast food, came to offer formative advice.

The whole night was a sort of avant-garde nod to the ‘90s. Imagine a world where a small platinum blonde female and an edgy male with choppy hair and skinny jeans lead a discussion on zine-making. The best part? Their names remained a secret. They introduced themselves by their pen names: the fast food rude dude and Lana Del Taco.

N OV 28–D EC 1 1

The two explained their lust for zines, their purpose in creating them–which was simply for themselves. What was interesting about the group of people present, was the fact that they were all ex-90s kids who grew up and now have graphic design day jobs and are married to fellow ex-skate park enthusiasts. The creation of zines is merely a byproduct of their evolution and connection with one another.

“We had a wizard party, where we dressed up like wizards, and every time you drank a beer, you’d tape it to the last beer, so you’d have a big wizard staff. At the end of the night, the wisest wizard is the one with the biggest staff,” Lana Del Taco said. “Before the party, we had people draw wizards and send them to us, and at the party we had a zine that was called Wizard Sleeves, where we put all the wizard drawings. Everyone who came and partied got a zine.”

The two even brought a special guest named Colonel Slanderz, a fellow contributing writer for Deep Fried.

Colonel Slanderz’s spirit radiated via webcam, and he watched the event whilst consuming a super-sized McDonalds meal. At times it was challenging for us to watch his meal consumption, as a very rotund and authoritative black cat paced back and forth in front of the camera. I got major Adult Swim vibes. Like, major.

The evening ended how any mentor/mentoree discussion should: by addressing fan mail. Lana Del Taco decided to share letters and artwork of praise and criticism with the group. Interestingly enough, every response to their work was either inmate art, or letters sent from insane asylums.

One candid letter was generous in praise. She even attached some original work of her own, asking to be featured in the next issue. Her desired byline? Snuggles Hussein. At the end of the letter, the inmate offered up why she was in prison. She had sent somebody–who was deathly allergic to peanuts—a jar of Skippy peanut butter, but disguised in a very specific jar of soy-nut butter. Inevitably, the receiving end made a sandwich, and promptly died.

The second event was for all attendees of the first meeting to come and work on their own zines. A much more relaxed setting, those in attendance sat around a makeshift table in the back of the record store, cutting out images from 1966 issues of National Geographic and 1970 issues of Playboy. Conversation was flowing, and so was alcoholic ginger beer.

Fast food rude dude and Lana Del Taco were present, and we all got in a discussion about the Kardashians.

Well, conspiracy theories about the Kardashians.

“Cherry Bomb” by the Runaways was playing, and those sitting around the table quickly changed the topic of discussion from the Kardashians to black holes. A natural progression, really.

The last event in the series is a potluck and swap of the zines created by those who attended the workshops–so that these niche, record store lurkers have the chance to link together again and hangout for another week.

Go meet them yourself! Go to Dead Media on Dec 3 at 8 p.m.!

P G. 21

S O UND & V I S I O N

THE WAKE

“STRANGE GIRLS” Art Collective Kick-Off Local artists come together to celebrate art and their unique perspectives.

BY LIV MARTIN

From the outside, most would hardly give a glance to a large, gray warehouse building spanning almost a block, blending into the background of the night sky.

However, if they ventured inside, they would find a vivacious group of artists from around the Twin Cities showcasing their creations. This warehouse in the Northeast Park neighborhood was the venue for the launch party of “A Conspiracy of Strange Girls,” a newly-formed local art collective.

Inside the venue, a gallery space called CO Exhibitions, the walls were maybe 30 feet high and the open space was already abundant with people. Two women, both sporting quarter-sized gauges and bright lipstick, took donations at the door and marked the arms of those under 21. On the right hand side of the space, a mediumsized stage was set up. A disco ball hung from the rafters. Hip, artsy folks chatted and mingled with beers in hand.

On the periphery of the large room, different booths were set up exhibiting the vast array of artists in the collective. Live art-making was at work. Some women were adding brushstrokes to a painting of alien-esque warrior women clad in fanciful headdresses and wielding different types of weapons. Near by, a screen printing mechanism was set up. A few women were busy printing T-shirts and sweatshirts with the slogan “Strange Girls Never Die” written in swirling typography.

of the election. “You know what?... We’re still here. So let’s just party and be happy while we can!” she said.

Jones, who is a printmaker herself, has been hard at work creating a community of local artists. Talk to any of the artists in the room and it becomes clear that they are a part of the collective because of some sort of connection to Jones. Similarly, all of the patrons at the launch party knew one or more of the artists involved. “When I was just waiting in line to get in, I hugged three people!” said one patron. Ezra Jones, the younger sister of Rhys, understands how Rhys has been able to bring so many artists together. “It’s a real community. Rhys has made a real community” she said.

The community that Jones has assembled is both creative and strong. The launch party was scheduled months before the results of this year’s presidential election were revealed. However, the group of so-called “strange girls” and their community came together not only to celebrate their art, but to celebrate each other, and all of the unique individualities that they harbor.

Across the room, more live art was taking place. Lauren Roberts was making customized leather key-chains and pendants. “I cut these straps out of cow leather.

Now, I’m using leather stamps to create letters. I pound the stamps with this mallet so it leaves an imprint,” she said. One patron came up to her booth and exclaimed, “Oh wow! I want one of these.” She got a key-chain with the initials “C. S. G.” on it, standing for “Conspiracy of Strange Girls.”

Live, customized art was also happening at Lucie Byros and Claire Ward’s booth.

The two women were making fashion drawings on the spot. Patrons could come up to their booth and the women would replicate their exact outfits in the style of high fashion sketches. “I’ve always loved drawing, but we both learned how to draw like this in school,” said Byros. Both women attended the University of Minnesota, where they discovered their love for this type of drawing.

CA ME RON SM ITH

The collective as a whole is made up of a majority of artists who identify as women, and some who identify as genderqueer and non-binary as well. The collective’s founder, Rhys Jones, has made it a priority to create a group that is very inclusive. “I think it’s really important that we create a community and a space for people who are typically marginalized,” she said. As a woman that is queer and disabled, establishing such a space has been incredibly meaningful to her. “This is a safe space for us to be ourselves.”

Hanging on the walls around the gallery space were signs that sent a message to everyone in the room. Written in Helvetica in all caps, they read: “No sexism. No racism. No ableism. No ageism. No homophobia. No fatphobia. No transphobia. No hatefulness.” For many of the people in the room that evening, the recent presidential election has been a difficult situation to confront. “Especially right now, what we are doing is so relevant,” said Jones.

About an hour into the launch party, live music began. A woman introducing the bands spoke passionately to the crowd, making an obvious reference to the outcome

P G. 22

NOV 28–DEC 11

S OUND & VIS ION

A Review of Mel Gibson’s Brutal WWII Blockbuster

BY SAMMY BROWN

Leonard Cohen You Want It Darker

BY CALLUM LEEMKUIL-SCHUERMAN “I’m ready, my Lord.”

These words repeat over and over on “You Want It “Hacksaw Ridge,” Mel Gibson’s latest addition to his Darker,” the first and eponymous track on Leonard Cocatalog of bloodstained pseudo-historical war epics, hen’s fourteenth album, released late last month. In an is nothing more than a needless contribution to Hollywood’s decaying mountain of uniform takes on U.S. interview promoting the album, he told the New Yorker that he was, in his words, “ready to die.” involvement in the second world war. Like any proper Hollywood product, “Hacksaw Ridge” largely forgoes On Thursday, Nov. 10, Leonard Cohen died. a truthful portrayal of its subject (a young corporal named Desmond Doss) and its story (his refusal to kill “You Want It Darker” does not shy away from the topic of at the Battle of Okinawa due to his pacifist beliefs as a death; on the contrary, death arguably makes an apSeventh-Day Adventist). Rather, the film elects to sketch pearance on every single song. “I’m leaving the table; an oversimplified portrait of a man whose devotion I’m out of the game,” Cohen talk-sings on “Leaving the to Christ becomes the essential factor in the Allied Table.” Yet despite the continual presence of death, the triumph on Okinawa and, accordingly, in the Asiaticalbum isn’t sad or angry; instead, Cohen sounds like Pacific Theatre. The Japanese troops are depicted as someone who is at peace. unreservedly heartless—even explicitly likened to the devil—while the Americans echo the righteous mission However, to tie this album too closely to Cohen’s death of Christ. This polarized imagery is drawn throughout would be to sell it short. A celebrated poet before he the film; the clichéd exposition occurs in the heavenly was a songwriter, Cohen’s lyrics are always excellent Appalachian foothills of Virginia, before Gibson rudely and sometimes incandescently brilliant; this album is no propels us 8000 miles to the hell-scape of Okinawa. exception. Cohen barely sings over a whisper, and his raspy voice imbues his words about card games and “Hacksaw Ridge” is the most brutal war film I’ve ever blown-out candles with a contemplative, tired wisdom. seen, sprinkling images of immolation, detached Musically, the album is somber and sparse, mainly limbs, and flesh-eating rats throughout its tiresome using church organs, flamenco guitar, and bass over battle sequence. But these images are never more minimal percussion. than fleetingly shocking, as the screenplay fails to cultivate emotional weight in its overwrought cast of characters. Through its ruthless gore, though, “Hacksaw Ridge” attempts – albeit halfheartedly – to relay the utter brutality of war, and promote the pipedream that one day, maybe, we can all drop our weapons like Desmond Doss did on Okinawa.

N OV 28–D EC 1 1

Leonard Cohen was a uniquely talented songwriter, and his musical career, spanning five decades, was consistently fruitful, original, fresh, and relevant. This album is worth listening to, but just as worthwhile is looking back through the discography of one of the last century’s most enduring talents.

J AYE J U N GM I N A H N

Hacksaw Ridge

RU BY GU T H RI E

E M I LY H I L L

T HRE E RE VIE W S

NxWorries Yes Lawd!

BY KARL WITKOWIAK Fresh off of the heals of his fantastic sophomore album, “Malibu,” R&B singer and rapper Anderson.

Paak teams up with producer Knxwledge, forming the group NxWorries and releasing their first LP, “Yes Lawd!” Anderson.Paak continues to be one of the most promising new talents of the year, if “Yes Lawd!” is anything to go by. Paak is a lively presence in this entire album, with a silky smooth voice that fits right into Knxwledge’s beats. Speaking of which, the production provided by Knxwledge is also top notch. With prominent bass grooves and fuzzed out backing vocals, most of these songs are extremely lively and great to groove to, especially songs like “Link Up” or “Lyk Dis”.

The samples also add to the theming of the album, the most noticeable one being a sample from the television show “Rick and Morty” in the song “Can’t Stop,” a standalone track by Knxwledge.

“Yes Lawd!” provides sheer enjoyment most of the way through, although it is clear that the album is more of an experiment than a cohesive project. The album definitely has standout moments, such as humorous skits such as on “Jodi” where Paak (with a pitched up voice) and Knxwledge retell a post-sex scene, or moments of heartfelt reflection on songs like “Best One”, where Paak shows his appreciation for a woman who let him live with her when he was homeless for a time.

However, the songs themselves don’t easily stick in the memory. This is mainly because there are 19 songs on this album, all of which are three minutes or less in length. However, as an experiment, it works well, and proves how well of a pairing these two can be.

P G. 23

want your ad here?

BMM EBZ

cheap rates. thousands of readers. co nta c t Ef f i e Mo g u su a t e m o g usu@wa ke m a g . o rg